Iran Criticizes Trump’s Letter of Rebuke to WHO

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman slammed US President Donald Trump for escalating his threats against the World Health Organization amid the global battle against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

“As global health is at stake & we need global solidarity & science-led leadership more than ever, Trump’s letter to @WHO Director-General is undermining the professionalism & independence of the Organization. It is a vain attempt at the wrong time,” Seyed Abbas Mousavi tweeted on Thursday.

The tweet came after Trump threatened to permanently stop funding the WHO and withdraw from the UN agency unless it makes “major substantive improvements within the next 30 days,” without detailing the improvements.

In a four-page letter to the WHO head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump announced late on Monday night that he will make his “temporary freeze” of US funding permanent after criticizing WHO’s response to the pandemic.

He said that the WHO also risked losing the US membership after the 30-day deadline. Earlier on Monday, Trump called the WHO a “puppet of China.”